168 results for author: Dave Svetlik

Corporate Tax Dodgers . . . Microsoft

This is the first in a series of articles on corporate tax dodgers that will be presented over the next several weeks. These summaries are taken directly from the report on Corporate Tax Dodgers by Americans for Tax Fairness and the Institute for policy studies    It is a bitter irony that some of the wealthiest people in America, those most responsible for causing government debt, are doing everything in their power to balance the budget on the backs of average workers. Yet this is the case.  Multi-billionaire Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, one of the largest corporate tax dodgers in America, is on the steering committee of the “Camp...

We Are Not A People Divided

A version of this article was previously published in the Wausau Daily Herald It is said that Americans are divided, that conservatives and progressives have irreconcilable differences represented by the Republican and Democratic parties.  But perhaps a more accurate assessment is that we have been deliberately divided and are no longer represented by either political party.  Perhaps we are not as divided as we think. Conservatives and progressives alike feel anger for the looting of Americans that occurred in the bailout of Wall Street banks.  We are united in our belief that there should be criminal prosecutions at the highest levels of the ...

The Global Fast Food Workers Strike

As many are aware, the global fast food workers strike took place this past May 15th. There were participants all over America. Citizens of all ages and backgrounds took part, and these were some of the comments from the courageous individuals who marched in Wausau: “What 15 & a union means to me: Protection from wage theft and income inequality. As a worker, I’ve seen wage theft happen first hand. Whether it’s not getting paid during training, taking out the trash on breaks, or even counting registers off of the clock, these are all forms of wage theft and it happens every day. I feel that with the profits these companies make, they ...

“New Math” in America Today… 8 Billionaires = 1,401,069 Teachers

There were 1,401,069 public school teachers west of the Mississippi River* in 2013, including Hawaii, Alaska, and the two largest school systems in America – Texas and California. At a national average of $56,383 (a livable wage), their combined income was $78.9 billion. The top 8 incomes in America in 2013 were: In other words, eight people made as much as all of the teachers west of the Mississippi and had $4.3 billion to spare.   (* Average teacher salary used because it represents a fair and just wage – a wage level at which a person can support themselves, their family and be prepared for future needs) The combined income of ...

Stories of America

There once was a story of America. It told of the aspiration of centuries of heartbreaking human struggle, of the shining proof that people from every nation on Earth, every walk of life, and every religious belief, could come together in a spirit of community. It told how a magnificent government was formed, how universal needs such as water and roads, breathtaking national parks, law enforcement, and the education of our children, were understood to be the property, and the responsibility, of all. It spoke to the longings of humanity. It spoke to the human heart. Nations are shaped by stories Nations are shaped by stories. They define who we are ...

As a Conservative

A version of this article was previously published in the Wausau Daily Herald. It is a measure of the extremism sweeping America when, after many decades of being a liberal, I find I must join with other conservatives to fight the radical changes destroying my nation. The definition of conservative is: believing in the value of established and traditional practices in politics and society. I fit this definition perfectly. As a conservative, I wish to preserve the traditional government established by my ancestors. I oppose the radical use of a business model in government. Government should serve as it has for more than 200 years - for all, and ...

A Thank You Note to the Republicans

I wish to personally thank Republican state Sen. Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend, and state Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, for joining with Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce to introduce Assembly Bill 667 allowing a 7 day work week. My grandparents and their union buddies were totally out of line when they fought for a day off each week. Thankfully, Grothman also authored Assembly Bill 611 which will get rid of overtime pay for working over 40 hours per week. Lazy socialists like my parents had no right to force decent corporations into these profit killing ideas. Best of all, Assembly Bill 750 will eliminate efforts by local government to improve ...

The Community of Man

We seem at a pivotal point in history - a time of moment, of decision making. This was eloquently captured by Aldo Leopold in his classic “A Sand County Almanac,” when he wrote of human paradox: “man the conqueror versus man the biotic citizen; science the sharpener of his sword versus science the search-light on his universe; land the slave and servant versus land the collective organism.” Leopold was speaking of our vision of ourselves: egocentric users in a game of “survival of the fittest” and “every man for himself,” or responsible members of a biotic community upon whose health and wellbeing we all depend. Like it or not, ...